忍心 (rěn xīn) — to have the heart to do sth; to steel oneself to do sth (often used in negative or rhetorical questions)
Definition
Used almost only in negatives or rhetorical questions to mean 'have the heart to' (不忍心 = can't bring oneself to). 忍/忍受/忍耐 focus on enduring pain; 忍心 focuses on being willing to cause harm or hurt someone.
verb
to have the heart to do sthto steel oneself to do sth (often used in negative or rhetorical questions)
Examples
- 。Wǒ bù rěn xīn gào sù hái zi zhēn xiàng.I can't bear to tell the child the truth.
- 忍心？Nǐ zěn me rěn xīn lí kāi nǐ de jiā rén?How can you bear to leave your family?
- 忍心。Tā rěn xīn zuò chū le nà ge jué dìng.He steeled himself to make that decision.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.